Stanley 1 Newport 3

A first Stanley goal for Janoi Donacien wasn’t enough to prevent the Reds suffering a first defeat in five, going down 3-1 to Newport County.

Rhys Healey and Jazzi Barnum-Bobb had given the Exiles a 2-0 lead only for Donacien to half the deficit before Josh Sheehan added a third for the visitors in the 94th minute.

Newport started a quiet first half brightly, with Jennison Myrie-Williams shooting wide inside the first minute and Healey getting in behind the defence with keeper Elliot Parish rushing out and penalised for a foul. The resulting free kick was deflected wide.

Stanley managed to produce some moments of concern for the Newport defence, notably when John O’Sullivan found the returning Seamus Conneely on the right and his low cross was guided into the side netting at the near post by Jordan Clark.

In the main it was a first half of plenty of pressure but few chances, with Omar Beckles miscuing wide after a goal mouth scramble and Clark heading over from a McConville delivery before the same player shot straight at Joe Day from range.

Stanley had the last opening of the first half when McConville’s low corner was met by the arriving Clark but he could only guide the ball over the top.

It was a different story after the break, with the Exiles taking the lead inside 90 seconds. From a Stanley corner the visitors broke, with Healey getting away from the half way line, surging past Zak Vyner into the box and beating Parish into the top right corner.

Stanley mustered little in response, with Scott Brown surging forward and driving wide in a rare opening, and were soon two down.

Barnum-Bobb added the second, sidefooting into the bottom right corner after being presented with the ball on the edge of the Stanley box.

Ten minutes from the end the Reds gave themselves hope, with sub Gary Taylor-Fletcher finding fellow replacement Shay McCartan and his shot was repelled as far as Donacien on the left who volleyed into the top right corner to make it 2-1.

Now John Coleman’s team were pressing for a leveller, with McCartan going down in the box and ultimately booked for a perceived dive before Donacien’s header down was guided wide by Terry Gornell.

McCartan’s shot from range was spilled by Day and six minutes of added time seemed to give Stanley hope but instead Healey’s reverse pass released Sheehan who beat Parish at the near post to wrap it up.